The annual squeeze for off-season staff reductions in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools in anticipation of system-wide budget shortfalls was, once again, followed by a late summer rush to fill, or in many cases, re-fill faculty posts previously marked for elimination. Schools in the north Mecklenburg area were successful in securing teachers for most faculty positions prior to the first day of classes and, considering the size of the system, CMS overall is in good shape as students and teachers settle in for the 2011-12 school year.

According to a CMS spokesperson, the district has 9,275 teaching and licensed support staff positions and, at midweek, was looking to fill 346 of those jobs. But for nearly half of those open positions, with the numbers changing constantly, candidates had already been contacted, interviewed and recommended for hire with short-term logistics and scheduling issues the only obstacles between newly acquired teachers and their arrival in CMS classrooms.

Throughout the district, the highest remaining need areas are elementary teachers, instructional support staff positions, science and math teachers and pre-kindergarten instructors.

According to employment information on the CMS Web site, north Mecklenburg schools have narrowed vacancies to specific teacher requirements. As of Wednesday, for example, Huntersville, Cornelius and Davidson elementary schools each listed openings for one K-3 teacher, Blythe  lementary was looking to fill a music education post, J.M. Alexander Middle needed a math teacher, Bradley Middle was seeking a sixth grade science and math instructor, Bailey Middle and Huntersville Elementary were looking for teacher assistants in the special needs programs and North Mecklenburg and Hough high schools each needed a technical/career education instructor. North was also still searching for a faculty person to fill the school’s head baseball coach position.